Cheese-hoop



R. J. J. MUELLER.

CHEESE HOOP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 7, 1918.

Patented June 15, 1920.

V To all whom it may concern:

- N T DST TE 'RIIDOLBH J. J. MUELLER, .or snnsoxoan, W sconsin-Mercator; TotmvE g t;

* OXYGEN COMPANY, or sunscreen, wrsconsnm s CORBORATIONIOFJWISQJ1 ICONSIN. v

Be it knownithat I, :RUDOLPH J. J. LER, a citizen of the United States, resid ng at Sheboygan, in the county of 'S heboy-v gan and State of lVisconsin', h'ave' nvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cheese-Hoops, of which the following is a specification, reference being "had "to the accompanying drawing, form ng a part thereof. I 1, f f This invention relates more particularly to metal cheese hoops of the kind shown and described in my application Serial 'No. 21,600, filed April 15, 1915. 7 f

The main objects of the presentinvention are to so reinforcethe mouth or open end of the hoop as to avoid cracking, distorting andbruising the hoop in removmga cheese therefrom by striking the inverted": hoop forcibly downward upon a table or block according'to the common practice, so that a bandage 'ring'or sleeve and follower or another hoop, will not fit into it and the hoop will not stand'the pressure and hard usage to which it issubjected; and'generally to improve the construction and operat on of hoops of this class. I It consists in certain peculiaritiesof construction as "hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing like characters designate the same parts in the sev: eral figures. V F'gure l is an axial section lndlcated by the line 11, Fig. 2, of a complete metal cheese hoop embodying the invention, anda portion of another hoop inserted therein and illustrating the manner of assembllng the hoops in a press; Fig. 2 1s a cross section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a follower of the preferred construction for use with hoops of the kind shown; and Fig. a is a fragmentary view, in

section, of the upper end of the hoop, showing in exaggerated form the flaring of that end and the non-corrosive metal closure at.

the joint between the body of the hoop and reinforcing band. I

The hoop, which is made of heavy sheet metal, comprises a tapering body or lower section a, and a cylindrical upper sectlon or extension Z). The tapering body sectlon a is provided at its smaller end with a fixed perforated bottom 0. The cyl ndrical section or extension I) is joined at one end to the larger end of the body'section a, form mg therewithan internal shoulder or seat'd forv a. split bandage sleeve or ring '6, with which the hoop is provided and which is removably fitted in said cylindrical section or extension, and is of greater width so as to, pro ect above the hoop when .it is inserted.

h in w th its lower e ge, against the shoulder or seat (Z. The upper 'or'outer nd of the ring or sleeve 6 is flaredoutwa'rdly to Specification of Letters'latent; .';Pate t d 51111915, 1920. Application filed January 7, 1151s. "s iai' no. 210,521. a Y

facilitate entering a follower therein. The" thickness'of thje'm'etal of which the ring or sleeve cis made,"corresponds with the width of theshoulder or sea-t d, soth'at when the ring or sleeve is inserted in a hoop, as shown m Fig. 1, its internal diameter corresponds with the internal diameter of the body section a at its larger end, and when a number of hoops are assembled with bandage rings or sleeves and with followers for pressing the, curd contained in the hoops into cheese, the follower will pass freely from the band: age'rings or'sleeves into the larger ends of the'body sections'a. r

'Each' hoop is provided on opposite sides with handles 7", preferably made of plain fiat metal bands bent'to the desired shape and welded at the ends to opposite sidesiof the body section a so'as to form strong tight joints therewith which can be easily kept clean.

Each hoop is also provided between thev bottom 0 and handles f with a bearing ring or shoulder 9, preferably formed as shown, of a concave band of sheet metal, seam welded at the edges to the body section a of the hoop so as to form therewith strong closed joints the hoop is composed are preferably joined tog-ether by autogenous seam welding so as to form in effect an integral structure without open joints or crevices in which dirt can lodge and with plain smooth surfaces which can be easily kept in a clean and sanitary condition. i s

The hoop is provided with a fo llower it,

preferably formed as shown, in one piece,

of heavy sheet metal, with a slightly downdisfiguringthe cheese against which the fol-- turned rim z'to stiffen it and give it a slightly concave or dishing shape on the un-' der side, which tends to crowd the curd or cheese toward the center of the hoop and prevent it from being squeezed out between its edge andthesurrounding bandagering or sleeve 6, or body section a of the hoop.

The follower is also formed with, drainage holes j and with isolated bossesor projections is, pressed upwardly 'or'outwardly therefrom and adapted by engagement with the perforated bottomof an adjoining hoop to "maintain a drainage space between the follower and contiguous hoop bottom 0;

The follower is formed with one or more bosses Z, through which holes mare formed 'for the insertion'of a hook or hooks for re;

moving the follower from a hoop without lower ispressed. I

The' hoop, bandage sleeve and follower are" tinned or plated with noncorrosive metal, which will not injure or affect the cheese and which is easily kept clean.

a In removing cheese from a hoop of this kind, it is customary to sharply strike the open end of the hoop in an inverted position on a table or block.

To stiffen and strengthen the mouth or open end of the hoop and enable it to withstand the impact of the blows to which it is subjected in removing the cheese therefrom, the edge of the upper cylindrical section b is folded down flat against the outside of the section, thereby forming "a reinforcing band at, having a rounded rim, which gives the mouth of the hoop .a slightly flaring form and facilitates the insertion of the bandage ring or sleeve 6. therein.

The tin or other noncorrosive metal plating or coating applied to the hoop, fills or closes the seam between the down-folded edge andthe body of section 6, thereby avoiding any crack or crevice inwhich dirt "can collect.

The reinforcing band npreserves the proper shape of the hoop, thereby facilitating the insertion and removal of the bandage ring or sleeve e,'and prevents the blows to which the hoop is subjected in removing cheese therefrom from breaking or cracking and thereby weakening it so that'it will not Vwithstand the pressure to'which it is sub j ected in a press.

Iclaim: I V r 1 1Q A metal cheese hoop having the edge at its open end folded outwardly, downwardly and flatly against the body and forminga reinforcing band with a rounded V closes the joint between the downwardly folded edge and outside of said section.

In witness whereof'lohereto afiix my signature. 7 1

RUDOLPH J. J. MUELLER. 

